Folding table



April 20, 1937.

J. KOVATS FOLDING TABLE Fliled April 14, 1956 FagJ 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 BY f Apfil 2o, 1937. J. KOVATS 2,077,701

FOLDING TABLE Filed April 14, 19:56

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR K0 V'cz Zs) 1 f Patented Apr. 20, 1937 UNITED STATES FOLDING TABLE John Kovats, Fairfield, Conn.

Application April 14,

14 Claims.

This invention relates to folding tables, and especially card or game tables of the type described and claimed in my Patent No. 2,005,716, June 18, 1935, wherein there is disclosed means for supporting folding legs in both extended and folded position and for maintaining said positions, and also operating connections for effecting conjoint positioning o-f all the legs.

It is an object of the present invention to provide improved operating connections for effecting positioning of all the legs of the table through the manual operation of any one of the legs, and for providing improved connections such that When the legs are locked in extended position all may be released to be folded by the release of any one.

A feature of the present invention is the provision of operating connections, for all four legs, which are removed from the vicinity of the marginal portions of the table so that there is no danger of pinching of the ngers when holding the table and operating the legs thereof.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of a table made in accordance with this invention, with the legs in folded position.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary detail plan of one corner of the table, with the leg folded against the table top.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of one corner of the table in Vertical section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary View of one corner of the table in vertical section with the leg extended. This figure is taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 5 following.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the table corner of Fig. 4, the leg being sectioned on line 5-5 of Fig.4.

As shown in the accompanying drawings, the present invention is applied to a card table of the type wherein legs I8 fold perimetrically within a marginal frame I I of the table top I2, the underside of which is shown in Fig. 1. Each leg is secured toa plate I3 having a barrel I4 receiving a pin I5 carried by a bracket I6. The bracket I 6 is fastened in the corner formed by the inner sides of the frame Il.

The legs IB are moved from folded position shown in Figs. 2 and 3 to extended position shown in Figs. 4 and 5 by an actuating mechanism including for each leg a pair of links I'I and I8 hinged together at I9. The links are connected respectively to the legs and the table by pins and 2|, and are positioned so as to lock the legs 1936, Serial N0. '74,237

when in extended position, and each link I8 has an arcuate slot 22 in which rides a pin 23 carried by the bracket I0, so that the movement of the link is limite-d thereby.

Each toggle link I8 is connected to a spring 24 having its other end shaped to form a loop which bears against the bracket EG, the spring being held by a pin 25 attached to the marginal frame II. The spring 24 acts to urge the links Il and I8 to either folded o-r extended straight positions, depending on whether the moving end of the spring lies above or below the pin 2i. Thus the spring may urge the leg into either extended or folded position from a dead center position intermediate these positions (refer to Figs. 3 and 4).

When the legs are in extended position and it is desired to fold them inwardly, the toggle links I'I and I 8 are broken from their locked position by an actuating lever 26 carried by the pin 2 I, which forces the link I8 inwardly toward the table top when the lever is actuated.

The actuating mechanism thus far described may be operated by moving each leg separately, from its folded to its operative or extended position, and forms subject matter in my Patent No. 2,005,716 `above referred to. There is also disclosed in this patent a common actuating device for linking the motions of all four legs, and the present invention is primarily concerned with an improvement of said actuating device.

According to the present disclosure there is provided as shown in Figs. 1 to 5, means associated with each set of diagonally opposite legs for connecting the links I8 of said legs so that movement of one leg causes corresponding movement of the leg diagonally opposite it, these means including pairs of links extending under the table diagonally thereof, and connected to levers engaging the links I8.

For this purpose there are provided, engaging the links I8, actuating levers 2l, which are pivotally carried by pins 28 set in the bracket plates I6, and said levers each have apertured arms 29 and 30 of equal length, and an extension 3I having an upturned arcuate flange 32 with a center of curvature in the pin 28. The extension 3| is provided with a recess 33 which opens into a slot 34 dividing the flange in two parts, anda pin 35 carried by the link I8 engages said slot so as to form a gear-connection between the link and the lever 21. In effect, the lever 21 acts as a two-tooth contrate wheel, and the link I8 and pin 35 as a one-tooth pinion, each engaging the other to coordinate the movements of the lever and link. It will be readily seen that with the leg and links I1 and i8 folded, the lever 21 will be ina position as shown in Fig. 2, and with the leg and links extended the lever will be positioned as in Fig. 5.

According to the at present preferred form of the invention, the levers 21 which are diagonally opposite each other are pin-connected by pairs of long links 36, so that movement of one lever of a pair causes corresponding movement of the other lever, and therefore the legs diagonally opposite each other have their movements coordinated in like manner.

The table as described thus far may be satis- Y factorily operated, it being required to manually actuate only two adjacent legs in order for all the legs to be actuated. Thus to set up the table for use, the upper leg of Fig. 1 may be extended by hand, whereupon the lower leg will also be'extended, and the left leg may be extended by hand, whereupon the right leg will also be extended.

When it is desired to fold the legs, one of the actuating levers 26 is pulled outwardly, moving the link I8 which it engages, which link in turn,

moves its associated lever 21, the links 36, and the lever 21 at the diagonally opposite corner of the table, which breaks the locking action of the toggle links for the diagonally opposite leg, so that both legs will simultaneously fold inward. Any one of the levers associated with the two remaining extended legs may be likewise actuated to simultaneously unlock said legs similarly, whereupon they may be also folded inwardly.

However, in order to further facilitate `the opening and closing of the table, the links 36 are all connected so that their movements are coordinated whereby one table leg may be manually actuated to cause the remaining three legs to be similarly actuated.

As shown in Fig. 1 this is accomplished by providing a floating connector 31 having four apertured arms which are pin-connected to the links 36. Movement of any pair of links 36 causes a turning of the connector 31 which in turn causes movement of the other pair of links.

Thus the legs are connected for conjoint movement and positioning of all by any one, and all of the legs may be simultaneously unlocked by actuating any one lever 26 to cause simultaneous movement of all the levers 21, and breaking of all of the toggle links I1 and I8, whereupon movement of any one leg into folded position will result in movement of all the legs in folded position.

It should be understood that in the broader aspects of the invention each pair of diagonally opposite levers 21 may be connected by only one link 36, suitable means being employed to connect the crossing links together so as to coordinate their movements, and other variations and modilications may be made within the scope of the invention and portions of the improvements used without others.

I claim:

l. In a folding table, the combination of a rectangular table top; four legs; means for hinging the legs on the table tcp at the corners thereof for movement to and from extended and folded positions; toggle links connecting each leg with the table top; and means acting on said toggle links for interconnecting the legs for simultaneous movement of all by one, said means including two pairs of link members disposed diagonally of the table top, each pair interconnecting diagonally opposite toggle links, and a connector having apertured arms pin-connected to the link members.

2. In a folding table, the combinatie-n cf a rectangular table top; four legs; means for hinging the legs on the table top at the corners thereof for movement to and from extended and folded positions; toggle links connecting each leg with the table top; and means acting on said toggle links for interconnecting the legs for simultaneous movement of all by one, said means including two pairs of link members disposed diagonally of the table top, each pair interconnecting diagonally opposite toggle links, and including means interconnecting the pairs of diagonally disposed link members with each other.

folded positions; toggle links connecting each leg with the table top; and means acting on said toggle links for interconnecting the legs for simultaneous movement of all by one, said means including a two tooth contrate gear associated with each pair of toggle links, and engaging a tooth carried by one of said pair of links.

4. In a folding table, the combination of a rectangular table top; four legs; means for hinging the legs on the table top at the corners thereof for movement to and from extended and folded positions; toggle links connecting each leg with the table top; means associated with one pair of diagonally opposite toggle links for interconnecting the legs 'connected therewith for simultaneous movement of both by one; means associated with the other pair of diagonally opposite toggle links for interconnecting the legs connected therewith for simultaneous movement of both by one.

5. The invention as defined in claim 4, in which each means associated with a pair of diagonally opposite toggle links includes at least one link member disposed diagonally of the table top.

6. The invention as defined in claim 4, in which each means associated with a pair of diagonally opposite toggle links includes at least one link member disposed diagonally of the table top, and in which there is means interconnecting the diagonally disposed link members so that movement of one leg will cause simultaneous movement of all the other legs.

'1. The invention as dened in claim 4 in which each means associated with diagonally opposite toggle links for interconnecting the legs includes' at least one link extending diagonally of the table top; and in which there is means for connecting said link or links to the toggle links. v

8. The invention as defined in claim 4, in which each means associated with diagonally opposite toggle links for interconnecting the legs includes atleast one link extending diagonally of the table top; and in which there is means of connecting said link or links to the toggle links, said means including a two-tooth 'contrate gear engaging a tooth carried by a toggle link.

9. In a folding table, the combination of a rectangular table top; four legs; means for hinging the legs on the table top at the corners thereof for movement to and from extended and folded positions; four pairs of toggle links, each pair connecting one leg with the table top, the toggle links carried by the table top each having a pin extending therefrom; four levers, each pivotally mounted in one corner of the table top, and each having an arcuate flange with a recess therein for engagement with the pin of the toggle link carried by the table top; a pair of link members connecting one set of diagonally opposite levers, and a pair of link members connecting the other set of diagonally opposite links so that movement of any one leg of the table results in 'corresponding movement of the leg diagonally opposite to it.

l0. In a folding table, the combination of a rectangular table top; four legs; means for hinging the legs on the table top at the corners thereof for movement to and from extended and folded positions; four pairs of toggle links, each pair connecting one leg with the table top, the toggle links carried by the table top each having a pin extending therefrom; four levers, each pivotally mounted in one corner of the table top, and each having an arcuate flange with a recess therein for engagement with the pin of the toggle link carried by the table top; a pair of link members connecting one set of diagonally opposite levers, and a pair of link members connecting the other set of diagonally opposite links so that movement of any one leg of the table results in corresponding movement of the leg diagonally opposite to it; and means for interconnecting each pair of link members so that movement of one pair causes t corresponding movement of the other pair in order to effect conjoint positioning of all the legs through positioning of any one leg.

l1. The invention as defined in claim 10, in which the means interconnecting the link members includes a full floating connector having four apertured arms pin-connected to said link members.

12. In a folding table, the combination of a rectangular table top; four legs; means for hinging the legs on the table top at the corners thereof for movement to and from extended and folded positions, including four bracket plates carried by the table, one plate in ea'ch corner of the table; four pairs of toggle links, each pair connecting one leg with a bracket plate, the toggle links carried by the bracket plates each having a pin extending therefrom; four levers, each pivotally mounted in one corner of the table top on a bracket plate, each lever having an arcuate flange With a recess therein for engagement with the pin of the toggle link mounted on the bracket; a pair of link members connecting one set of diagonally opposite levers, and a pair of link members connecting the other set of diagonally opposite links so that movement of any one leg of the table results in corresponding movement of the leg diagonally opposite to it.

13. In a folding table, the combination of a rectangular table top; four legs; means for hinging the legs on the table top at the corners thereof for movement to and from extended and folded positions; toggle links connecting each leg with the table top; and means acting on said toggle links for interconnecting the legs for simultaneous movement of all by one, said means including two link members, each associated With a pair of diagonally opposite toggle links, an interconnecting member pivotally connected with said link members, and means for causing the interconnecting member to rotate upon movement of one of the said link members whereby movement of one link member is effected simultaneously with movement of the other link member.

14. In a folding table, the 'combination of a rectangular table top; four legs; means for hinging the legs on the table top at the corners thereof for movement to and from extended and folded positions; toggle links connecting each leg with the table top; and means acting on said toggle links for interconnecting the legs for simultaneous movement of all by one, said means including a plurality of link members, each asso- 

